IS YOUR DIET FUELING DEFORESTATION?

When you sit down to enjoy your evening meal, grab a burger to go, or pick up a convenient meal deal sandwich, what you don't see is the invisible thread that snakes across the globe from your plate to Brazil. 

If asked if you consume much soya, chances are, if you're not vegetarian or vegan, you would probably answer no. Yet, research shows that a decade ago the average EU citizen consumed 61kg of soy every year, with over 90% of that coming from soya fed to the animals we eat.  As our demand for cheap and plentiful meat grows, so does this figure and the centre of the soya farming industry? The Amazon.

We’ve long understood the importance of the Amazon rainforest in regulating the planet's climate. Known as the ‘lungs of the earth’ It absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in its dense vegetation and soil. According to Greenpeace,  the Amazon holds about 123 billion tons of carbon, making it one of the most significant carbon sinks on the planet . However, deforestation is rapidly depleting this vital resource and there are indications that this carbon store is at a tipping point.

A significant driver of deforestation in the Amazon is the cultivation of soya beans. While soya is a common ingredient in many food products, and eaten as tofu, tempeh and edamame beans,  the majority of global soya production is never intended for human consumption. Instead, it is used as feed for livestock, particularly in industrial farming. WWF estimates that “almost 80% of the world’s soybean crop is fed to livestock, especially for beef, chicken, egg and dairy production”.  Millions of hectares of vital pristine rainforest has been cleared to meet this insatiable demand for soy crops, and continues to do so despite a so-called Amazon soy moratorium introduced in 2006 preventing the sale of soy grown on land deforested after 2008. Investigations carried out by NGOs in 2022 found that “More than 400 sq miles (1,000 sq km) of Amazon rainforest has been felled to expand farms growing soya” in Brazil since the moratorium was brought in. 

In a climate crisis, continued deforestation of these vital rainforests is dangerously reckless. The removal of trees both reduces the Amazon's capacity to absorb CO₂.and releases significant amounts of stored carbon back into the atmosphere. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), deforestation accounts for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from the carbon released when trees are felled and burned .

In the Amazon, this has led to the release of billions of tons of CO₂ and has secondary effects by disrupting local weather patterns and reducing biodiversity and food security.

When faced with statistics on this scale, it may seem a hopeless task to fight against the juggernaut that is industrial farming. It is estimated that “food production will have to grow by 50 percent by 2050 to feed the growing global population” so how can we ensure that the world does not go hungry? 

One way to mitigate this impact is through organic farming practices. Organic farmers typically use a variety of alternative feeds, such as grass, clover, and other legumes, which do not require deforestation and can even help to improve soil health and carbon sequestration. According to the Soil Association, organic farming can store up to 450 kg more carbon per hectare each year compared to non-organic farming practices. 

A criticism often levelled at this argument for organic points out that we cannot feed the world on organic food, accounting as it does for only a small percentage of farms. This is true. We cannot feed the world on organic meat if our meat consumption stays at current levels. The Soil Association says “We need an urgent shift in both production and consumption if we’re to avert the worst consequences of climate change, including a dietary shift towards less and better meat,”
 

Eat less, eat better is something that we truly believe in. Our organic meat is special and we know that special may not be for every day. Buying less meat means that you can choose to spend a little more on better quality, sustainably sourced meat. Our grass-fed meat helps sequester carbon and farmed in a system that boosts biodiversity, improving soil health along the way. Not only that, but there is a huge reward to be had in terms of the flavour and nutrition found in meat from slow-grown and well cared for animals, with higher levels in omega 3 and 6 than grain-fed comparatives.  All this, and our buying choices, help to protect the Amazon and its crucial role in carbon storage too.

While the meat on our plates may seem far removed from forests of South America, the reality is that our choices have far-reaching consequences. By choosing organic, sustainably-raised meat, we can help to break the cycle of deforestation and carbon emissions, ensuring that the Amazon remains the vital and thriving resource that the health of our planet depends upon.